Gerda (sung).—“Gerda will ne’er by force be led
To grace a conqueror’s hateful bed:
But this, I trow, with main and might
Gymer shall meet thy boast in fight.”
Skirnir (sung).—“Behold this bright and slender brand
Unsheath’d, and glittering in my hand!
Slain by its edge thy sire shall lie;
That giant old is doom’d to die.
E’en as I list, the magic wand
Shall tame thee! Lo, with charmed hand
I touch thee, Maid! There shalt thou go,
Where never man shall learn thy woe.
On some high pointed rock forlorn
Like eagle[[106]] shalt thou sit at morn;
Turn from the world’s all-cheering light,
And seek the deep abyss of night:
Food shall to thee more loathly show,
Than slimy serpent[[107]] creeping slow.
When forth thou com’st, a hideous sight,
Each wondering eye shall stare with fright.
By all observ’d, yet sad and lone;
’Mongst shivering[[108]] Thursians wider known,
Than him, who sits unmoved on high,
The Guard of heaven with sleepless eye.
’Mid charms, and chains, and restless woe,
Thy tears with double grief shall flow.
Now seat thee, Maid, while I declare
Thy tide of sorrow and despair.
Thy bower shall be some Giant’s cell,
Where phantoms pale shall with thee dwell.
Each day to the cold Thursian’s hall
Comfortless, wretched, shalt thou crawl;
Instead of joy and pleasure gay,
Sorrow and tears and sad dismay;
With some three-headed Thursian wed,
Or pine upon a lonely bed.
From morn till morn love’s secret fire
Shall gnaw thine heart With vain desire;
Like barren root of thistle pent,
In some high ruin’d battlement.
O’er shady hill, through greenwood round,
I sought this wand; the wand I found.
Odin is wroth, and mighty Thor;
E’en Freyr shall now thy name abhor.
But ere o’er thine ill-fated head
The last dread curse of heaven be spread,
Giants and Thursians far and near,
Suttungur’s[[109]] sons, and Asians, hear,
How I forbid with fatal ban
This maid the joys, the fruit of man!
Cold Grimmer is that giant hight
Who thee shall hold in realms of night;
Where slaves in cups of twisted roots
Shall bring foul beverage from the goats:
Nor sweeter draught, nor blither fare,
Shalt thou, sad virgin, ever share.
’Tis done! I wind the mystic charm;
Thus, thus, I trace the giant form;
And three fell characters below,
Fury, and Lust, and restless Woe.
E’en as I wound, I straight unwind
This fatal spell, if thou art kind.”
Gerda (sung).—“Now hail, now hail, thou warrior bold!
Take, take this cup of crystal cold,
And quaff the pure metheglin old!
Yet deem’d I ne’er, that love could bind
To Vanian youth my hostile mind.”
Skirnir (sung).—“I turn not home to bower or hall,
Till I have learnt mine errand all;
Where thou wilt yield the night of joy
To brave Niorder’s gallant boy.”
Gerda (sung).—“Barri is hight the seat of love;
Nine nights elapsed, in that known grove,
Shall brave Niorder’s gallant boy
From Gerda take the kiss of joy.”
Then rode Skirnir home. Freyr stood forth and hailed him, and asked what tidings.
“Speak; Skirnir, speak, and tell with speed!
Take not the harness from thy steed,
Nor stir thy foot, till thou hast said,
How fares my love with Gymer’s maid!”
Skirnir (sung).—“Barri is hight the seat of love;
Nine nights elapsed, in that known grove,
To brave Niorder’s gallant boy
Will Gerda yield the kiss of joy.”
Freyr (sung).—“Long is one night, and longer twain;
But how for three endure my pain!
A month of rapture sooner flies,
Than half one night of wishful sighs.”
[102]. Asi and Alfi.